Comparison of aeolian sand activity characteristics among dry playa， gobi and sparse shrubland in the Beilujing area， lower reaches of the Shule River

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2026.00062

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (4): 217-227.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2026.00062

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Comparison of aeolian sand activity characteristics among dry playa， gobi and sparse shrubland in the Beilujing area， lower reaches of the Shule River

Yanmei Ma¹^,²(), Rende Wang¹(), Shuhong Song³, Qing Li¹, Hongjun Jiang¹, Yixiao Yuan¹, Chunping Chang², Zhongling Guo²

^1.Institute of Geographical Sciences /Hebei Technology Innovation Center for Geographic Information Application，Heibei Academy of Sciences，Shijiazhuang 050011，China
^2.School of Geographical Sciences/Hebei Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Ecological Construction，Hebei Normal University，Shijiazhuang 050024，China
^3.The Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology，Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences，Shijiazhuang 050061，China

Received:2026-02-04 Revised:2026-04-29 Online:2026-07-20 Published:2026-08-27
Contact: Rende Wang

Abstract

Abstract:

Dry playa is a unique land surface type in the arid regions of northwestern China， characterized by intense aeolian sand activity. However， current understanding of its aeolian activity characteristics and formative mechanisms remains insufficient， especially lacking systematic comparisons with other wind-eroded land types. This study selected the Beilujing area in the lower reaches of the Shule River as the study region. Using a combination of field investigation， long-term in-situ observation， and laboratory analysis， we compared and analyzed the differences in aeolian sand activity characteristics among dry playa and adjacent gobi and sparse shrubland surfaces. The results show that， compared with gobi and desert， dry playa exhibits the strongest average aeolian activity with weak spatial heterogeneity， serving as the primary local dust emission source. This is jointly controlled by higher fine-particle content， lower topsoil moisture content， sparse gravel or vegetation cover， and well-developed desiccation cracks in dry playa soils. During the full annual observation period （May 2024–April 2025）， aeolian activity in all three land types peaked in summer followed by spring， which deviates from the conventional view that aeolian activity is most intense in spring. This discrepancy may be attributed to the strongest wind conditions occurring in summer during the observation period， reflecting the dominant control of regional wind dynamics on aeolian sand activity.

Key words: dry playa, aeolian activity, dust source, spatio-temporal variation, Beilujing area

CLC Number:

P931.3

Yanmei Ma, Rende Wang, Shuhong Song, Qing Li, Hongjun Jiang, Yixiao Yuan, Chunping Chang, Zhongling Guo. Comparison of aeolian sand activity characteristics among dry playa， gobi and sparse shrubland in the Beilujing area， lower reaches of the Shule River[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2026, 46(4): 217-227.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig.1 Overview of the study area and locations of field observation sites

Fig.2 Layout of observation instruments and sample collection

Fig.3 Annual average sand transport intensity of each surface observation site in Beilujing area

Fig.4 Annual variation of sand transport intensity for major land types in the Beilujing area

Table 1 Particle size composition of wind erosion sediments under different land types in the Beilujing area

地类	粒径/μm
地类	0~20	20~50	50~100	100~200	200~500	>500
戈壁	14.93%	23.92%	35.66%	19.41%	5.21%	0.86%
泥漠	28.33%	24.00%	29.75%	14.21%	3.35%	0.36%
稀疏灌丛	30.74%	28.44%	26.51%	10.58%	3.07%	0.64%

Table 2 Mean annual wind erosion rate， sand and dust emissions for various land types in the Beilujing area

地类	风蚀速率/（t·km^-2·a^-1）	面积/hm²	年风蚀起沙量/万t (占比)	年粉尘释放量/万t (占比)
戈壁	4 616.98	26 180.73	120.85(36.93%)	46.95(30.23%)
泥漠	5 391.43	38 049.93	205.09(62.59%)	107.32(69.11%)
稀疏灌丛	605.40	2 836.17	1.72(0.48%)	1.02(0.66%)

Table 3 Soil physicochemical properties of different land types in the Beilujing area

地类	含水率/%	土壤硬度/(kg·cm^-2)	有机质含量/%	碳酸钙含量/%	可蚀性颗粒含量/%	0~2 μm/%	2~20 μm/%	20~2 000 μm/%	砾石盖度/%	植被盖度/%
戈壁	2.36	16.11	0.40	16.55	5.08	1.90	41.70	56.40	22.84	3.74
泥漠	1.16	22.57	0.76	28.24	2.33	5.95	79.50	14.55	0.04	4.54
稀疏灌丛	2.09	13.73	1.83	15.00	5.98	2.13	48.22	49.65	1.07	6.96

Fig.5 Seasonal variations in average soil moisture content and soil hardness of major land types in the Beilujing area

Fig.6 Cumulative hours with wind speeds >5.0 m·s⁻¹ and >10.0 m·s⁻¹ in each season in the Beilujing area

Fig.7 Correlation between sand transport intensity and wind erosion influencing factors in different land types across months in the Beilujing area

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Comparison of aeolian sand activity characteristics among dry playa， gobi and sparse shrubland in the Beilujing area， lower reaches of the Shule River

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